Thursday, March 13, 2008

Well, those of us who have been observing the Obama Campaign knew that this day would come.

Faux News has been obsessed with Trinity UCC from the beginning of his campaign.

I know that most of the Black readers on here understand that the attack on Trinity is basically an attack on the best traditions of the Black Christian Church. For our non-Black readers, here is my take on Trinity UCC.

Trinity UCC is about empowerment. It is not full of 'radicals'. It's full of 'Strivers' like Barack and Michelle Obama. It is full of what has to be called ' The Talented Tenth'. These folks are not radicals; they are the most connected to 'The System' within the Black community.

Dr. Wright is an old-fashioned Black preacher; not one of these Prosperity Gospel Sellout Hustlers. His Jesus is the one that helps the sick, the poor, the least amongst us. In fact, I believe, with conviction, if Wright WERE a Prosperity Gospel Hustler, then Faux News and Others wouldn't be saying JACK about him.

Wright demanded of his congregation that they have an active part in the world in which they live. Trinity is one of the most affluent congregations, regardless of race, in the entire state. That they show some self-respect; that Dr. Wright, and now Rev. Moss challenge them to give back - how is that a bad thing?

They are about self-reliance; doing for one's self. Not expecting anyone else do to for you what you won't do for yourself. Sounds like pretty conservative values to me.

When they were building their new multi-million sanctuary, they could have gone anywhere in the city or suburbs - they would have been welcome. THEY CHOSE to locate, literally across the railroad tracks, from a housing project. This was a display of their commitment to the community. Jews send their children to Hebrew School on a weekly basis; what is the purpose of that, if not to reinforce a sense of pride, values, history and tradition in their children.

That is what Trinity provides for its members - a sense of community, and pride. A source of religious inspiration that reinforces the conservative values that many of the parents are attempting to raise their children with, despite being surrounded by a BET/Hip Hop culture. A church that reinforces to their children that respect for family and community and education are not, nor have they ever been, the exclusive pervue of Whites. To surround their children with living and breathing examples of Black professionals who have 'achieved' doing something other than dribbling/carrying some sort of ball, or shuffling in front of a microphone degrading themselves. That success in America is quite attainable, through education and hard work. For Black children to SEE those examples up close, on a consistent basis, is invaluable. To have a sense of self-worth and pride be instilled in them will make them more productive citizens as they grow up in this society. Part of the development of that self-worth is to provide those children for a context about the world in which they live. Only by admitting and confronting White Supremacy and all the traps that it can set for their children, will their children be provided with the armor to go forth and succeed in this world. It's the time honored lesson of ' how to get over' that has been passed from generation to generation in the Black community. Jeremiah Wright just wrapped it up in a bow of Pan-Africanism.

When I see the 'reports' on Faux News and elsewhere, it's obvious that they are getting their information from people who have never been to Trinity, spoken to members from Trinity, and are getting their gross mischaracterizations from people who obviously have nothing but ill-intentions towards Senator Obama. The members of Trinity are not unlike the professional African-Americans in your office. The same middle-class, upper middle-class folks that you work with......do you really believe that THOSE folks leave the office and turn into the second coming of Angela Davis and Huey P. Newton on Sunday morning?

Puleeze.

No different with Barack & Michelle Obama and the nearly 10,000 members of Trinity UCC.

I just saw stories on Rev. Wright on MSNBC and CNN. MSNBC's Dan Abrams program dug up old footage of the Pastor from a few years ago, where he made a few controversial statements... then they tried to compare that to the situation with Ferraro. NOT QUITE THE SAME THING.

They are grasping at straws with this nonsense. In Ferraro's case, she is repeatedly making racial remarks to the media aimed directly at one of the candidates.And her most recent remarks occurred within the last few weeks... Furthermore, in an effort to back up her offensive remarks, she is seeking opportunities to speak to media.

In the case of the Pastor...they are digging up archival material from way back (the man is no longer the Pastor)... The situations are very different.

Whenever you have news organizations that are digging up old footage of a persons Pastor from years ago...looking into your grade school writings, etc that is an indication that they have a crew of people DEDICATED to finding derogatory and damaging information so that they can try to bring down that individual. This seems to be what is happening in the case of Obama.

The Corporate media (which is allied with Hillary Clinton) is going to try its damndest to Swiftboat Barack Obama between now and June.

This is just a continuation of Clinton's "Kitchen Sink" slash and burn campaign. Obama is also dealing with attacks from Bush and McCain... Bush has given McCain a little help by unleashing the IRS on the Church. So he is dealing with Clinton and the Republicans; although there is really not much of a difference. A Corporate Democrat is not much different from a Republican.

Obama has to be faster, and more aggressive in dealing with these attacks, while focusing on the issues at the same time. He has yet to figure out exactly how to do that (because the attacks are so unrelenting).

He must also be more proactive instead of reactive...constantly answering attacks. He should work to turn the tables, put Clinton and her surrogates on the ropes and try to keep them there so that he can get back to his message.

I'm a white Obama supporter and I understand why he's at this church, and I understand why Pastor Wright says what he does. What you have to understand is that "white America" is always scared of black power. Malcom X is a prime example of this. Obama can't look like he endorses what Mr. Wright says or he will not win the general election. That's why he asked Mr. Wright not to give the opening prayer at his Presidential announcement last Febrary after originally asking him to do so. While he may support Wright privately, to do so publicly is political suicide. Most reasonable people will still support Obama, even if they have problems with what Mr. Wright says. You're never going to convince the far-right to vote for Obama anyway, no matter what church he goes to.

[quote]I know that most of the Black readers on here understand that the attack on Trinity is basically an attack on the best traditions of the Black Christian Church.[/quote]

Sorry - I don't buy this. I have been to many Black churches in my lifetime - from my viewpoint THESE STATEMENTS that are gratuitously political and critical of this nation is NOT common talk in even the BLACKEST of Black churches.

Rev Wright made references to Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky and then made a movement with his hips to drive home the point of his words. This and the other clips were blatantly POLITICAL SPEECH.

But you know what Rikyrah and Angry - this is not even the essence of my disagreement with Rev. Wright and those who think like him. My issue with them is that they are SELECTIVE. They talk about all of the unsavory history associated with America but they don't talk about how they are SAVORING the fruit from this same tree that has so many dead bodies supplying the nutrients to make their fruit sweet.

I do agree with you that the line of thinking that Rev Wright has expressed is certainly not rare among Black people with a certain ideology. They don't mention, however, that they are Americans by CHOICE. Their land that they hold title to is just as STOLEN from the Native Americans as the land that their White neighbors live upon. Some how this detail gets lost in their sermons.

[quote]They are about self-reliance; doing for one's self. Not expecting anyone else do to for you what you won't do for yourself. Sounds like pretty conservative values to me.[/quote]

Excuse me - as you review Obama's policy platform can you detail for me the SELF-RELIANCE policies that are included in on this? Is it SAVE MORE MONEY or train yourself up with higher paying jobs so that you can afford healthcare? Or is it THE GOVERNMENT is going to create a pool of money collected from others to pay your way?

Is it even - "We will ask communities to clamp down on their kids, redirecting their efforts so that they can become medical professionals and GIVE BACK to their same communities?

[quote]Only by admitting and confronting White Supremacy and all the traps that it can set for their children, will their children be provided with the armor to go forth and succeed in this world. It's the time honored lesson of ' how to get over' that has been passed from generation to generation in the Black community.[/quote]

AMAZING.White Supremacy? Isn't the INTERNALIZED digestion of WHITE SUPREMACY shown by Affirmative Action supporters who protest in front of the elite, lily White U of Michigan or Berkeley while Fisk SHUTS DOWN ITS athletic program for want of money, while Morris Brown remains closed, while the "wide middle" of Black America who will never consider HARVARD via Affirmative Action but surely could benefit if their PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL WAS IMPROVED?

It is amazing reading this blog sometimes. Many of your own "hopes" as placed on Obama don't come close to matching the policies that you support over time.

[quote]When I see the 'reports' on Faux News and elsewhere, it's obvious that they are getting their information from people who have never been to Trinity, spoken to members from Trinity, and are getting their gross mischaracterizations from people who obviously have nothing but ill-intentions towards Senator Obama.[/quote]

If the average Democrat doesn't watch Fox News - why are you all always so worried about what they say? Why not focus on what good guy Keith Olbermann is saying with his pompoms on and content yourself with him?

"The two parties have combined against us to nullify our power by a ‘gentleman's agreement' of non-recognition, no matter how we vote ... May God write us down as asses if ever again we are found putting our trust in either the Republican or the Democratic Parties." -- W.E.B. DuBois (1922)